Glass body forming machine



Aug. 4, 1936.

F. MEYER GLASS BODY FORMING MACHINE Filed Oct. 23. 1955 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1936 ilNl'lD srrss PATENT- OFFICE GLASS BODY FORMING MACHINE Felix Meyer, Aachen, Germany, assignor to Kimble Glass Company,,vineland, N. J., a corporation of Illinois 1 Application October 23, 1933,v Serial No. 694,729

In Germany February 6, 1933 13 Claims. (Cl. 198-127) This invention relates to a forming machine of the general character utilized in the production of round glass or like bodies such as test tubes, ampoules, bottles and the like.

The invention more particularly relates to the means in a machine of the above mentioned character for supporting a blank during a forming operation and for transporting the blank from one forming station toanother'.

machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a supporting means of the above mentioned character which may be readily altered to adapt the machine for the production of bodies of different sizes.

Still further the invention has as an object the provision oi'a supporting means which will have sufiieient contact with the blank supported to impart the desired movement to the blank during the forming operations.

Numerous other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds particularly when reference is had to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure l is a fragmentarysemi-diagrammatic plan View of a machine in which the invention may be embodied;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a por tion of the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring then particularly to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding diagrammatically shown in in which the invention may be embodied.

parts throughout all viewsfthere is Figure 1 a machine Referring then particularly to thisfigure, it will be noted that the machine comprises spaced rollers i5 arranged in' a row with their axes parallel.

These rollers constitute supports for the glass blanks 6 to be formed, these blanks res ing on the rollers in the angles between the same as clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing. The rollers are rotated in a manner more fully described,

which will hereinafter be and operate to frictionally rotate the glass blanks, .the rollers and blanks rotating in the direction indicated in Figure 3 of the drawing.

It will be noted that the machine comprises a number of the rollers l5 and means is provided for moving the blanks into engagement 5 with successive rollers throughout the length of the machine or to successive forming stations. At each station the blanks are rotated and subjected to some operation incident to the forming of the desired articles. 0 In the machine illustrated, Which is a test tube bottoming machine, sufficient rollers are provided to form seventeen forming stations designated by the reference characters A to Q inclusive. The blanks, as they are fed to the 15 machine, are in the formof elongated'tubes and at the stations A, B and C the blanks are heated at a point intermediate their ends by suitable burners Il disposed centrally of the machine. At station D, the heated portion of the blank is slightly constricted by a sharp flame from a burner it, while at station E the heated portion of the tube is further subjected to the action of a sharp constricting flame. At station D the ends of the blank are pulled away from each 5 other by superposed skew rollers 20 and this separating ordrawing apart operation is completed at station E.

At stations F, G and H the ends of the sections of the blanks are heated by burners 2| so that the drawn apart ends of the tubes may be formed at the forming station I in the manner clearly disclosed in my co-pending application Serial #694,731, filedOctober 23, 1933." At stations J, K, L and M the formed ends of the sec- 5 tions of the blanks are annealed, while at the remaining stations the sections of the blank are rotated without being subjected to heat so that they may become slightly cooled before they are discharged from the machine. 40

superposed skew rollers are provided not only at stations D and E but also at stations F to M, inclusive, to hold the separated sections of the blank in engagement with the side rails of the machine.

For moving the blanks longitudinally of the machine or to the several forming stations, transfer bars 21 are provided. Any number of these bars may be provided depending entirely Suitable means (not shown) is provided for intermittently moving the transfer bars, these bars being moved both longitudinally and vertically in the manner indicated by the arrows in Figure 3 of the drawing. The bars are provided in their upper edges with recesses 28 suitably spaced to engage the blanks as clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing. In operation, the bars first move upwardly to lift the blanks from engagement with the rollers then for wardly to align the blanks with the next forming stations then downwardly to position the blanks in the new forming stations and then to release the blanks. The intermittent operation of the transfer bars is so timed that the blanks will remain in each forming station a predetermined period of time.

As brought out before, the blanks are rotated by the rollers I5 on which they rest at the several forming stations. Difficulty has heretofore been experienced in rotatably driving these rollers for the reason that when axles or the like are formed on the rollers these axles are in the way of the transporting bars which must move vertically between the axles of the rollers and the blanks being formed. Attempts have been made to provide sufficient room for the transporting bars by utilizing relatively large driven rollers but such large rollers function efliciently only when used to support relatively large glass bodies and do not efllciently support and rotate the glass bodies or tubes of small diameter and of light weight.

Attempts have been made to solve the problem presented by laminating the rollers so that the one fits partly within the other. This practice, however, has not proven practical for the reason that the angle between the rollers is then too large to obtain a good driving action on the tube supported.

The present invention is directed more particularly therefore to the elimination of the above mentioned difiiculties. According to the teachings of this invention, the rollers I5 are auxiliary rollers which are supported on and are frictionally driven by the main driven rollers of the machine. The auxiliary rollers l5 thus provide that the blanks are spaced a substantial distance above the axles of the main driven rollers thus insuring the provision of sufficient room for the mounting and movement of the transporting bars.

As illustrated more particularly in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the main rollers 30 are arranged in a row with their axes in parallel relation with respect to each other. The auxiliary rollers [5 are supported on the main rollers in the angles between the same and are frictionally driven by the main rollers.' The auxiliary rollers in turn support and rotate the blanks as previously brought out. For rotating the main or driven rollers 30, these rollers are provided with shafts 3|, to the end of which beveled pinions 32 are secured. These beveled pinions are engaged by beveled pinions 33 on a shaft 34, this shaft in turn being driven in a suitable manner from a main drive shaft 35.

It will be apparent that by providing the rollers I5, the blanks l6 are spaced a. substantial distance above the axles of the rollers 30. Thus as clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing suflicient room is provided for the mounting and movement of the transporting bars 21.

When auxiliary rollers such as above described are provided, the driven rollers 30 may, if desired, be made comparatively small and placed closely together. It has been found that if the diameter of the rollers i5 is approximately equal to the distance between the axes of the rollers 39 a good bearing angle is provided for the glass tubes or blanks it. It will be apparent that the diameter of the rollers i5-can be made to vary with the thickness of the tube blanks to be formed with the result that by substituting different sized rollers i5 the forming machine may be adjusted to operate on tubes of different diameters.

I In order to prevent movement of the rollers I5 axially with respect to the rollers 36, each roller 39 may be provided with an annular bead or rib 38 adapted to engage in an annular groove 39 formed in the surface of the roller IS with which it is associated. This arrangement is clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing.

As brought out before, at the forming stations D to M inclusive, skew rollers bear on the tube on the tops of the blanks. The pressure exerted by these rollers is transmitted through the blanks onto the rollers l 5 and in the absence of some preventing means might cause a spreading of the rollers. To avoid this there may be provided a metal or like strip 68 having semicircular recesses M and 52 in its upper and lower edges respectively. This strip is arranged so that the recesses in its edges embrace re duced portions of the rollers 30 and I5 as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, with the result that lateral movement of the rollers IS with reference to the rollers 30 is positively prevented.

From the above it will be apparent that the invention provides an improved means for supporting a blank during the forming operation and for transporting the blank from one forming station to another. By eliminating the necessity of utilizing large rollers the overall length of the forming machine may be reduced and the distance between one forming station and another may likewise be reduced to thus decrease to a considerable extent the cooling of the blank during its movement from one forming station to the other. The driven members are arranged to frictionally drive auxiliary members which in turn constitute supports for the blanks to be formed. Thus the auxiliary members may be readily changed to adapt the machine for operating on blanks of different sizes.

While the invention has been described as being embodied in a test tube bottoming machine, it is to be understood that this particular machine has been selected solely for the purposes of illustration. It will be apparent that the invention may be embodied in numerous types of machines for operating on glass or like bodies. Further, while one embodiment of the invention has been described with some detail, it is to be understood that this description is for the purposes of illustration only and is not definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a plumovable transporting member disposed above the axes of said driven members and below the said blank operable to move the blank out of engagement with the members on which it is supported.

2. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of rotatably driven rollers arranged with their axes in parallel relation with respect to each other, a row of auxiliary rollers supported on and frictionally rotatably driven by said first mentioned rollers, said second mentioned rollers. being adapted to support and rotate a blank to be formed, and a transporting bar disposed above the axes of said driven rollers and below the said blank operable to move the blank out of engagement with the rollers on which it is supported.

3. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of rotatably driven rollers arranged with their axes in parallel relation with respect 'to each other, transporting bars at the ends of said rollers disposed above the axes thereof, and spacing members supported on said rollers in the angles between the same and arranged to support a blank to be formed in the plane above the transporting bars, said spacing members being adapted to transmit the rotating movement of said driven rollers to the said blank.

4. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of driven rollers arranged side by side to form a row, a row of auxiliary rollers supported on and frictionally driven by said driven rollers, and means engaging said driven and auxiliary rollers for preventing movement of said auxiliary rollers longitudinally of said row.

'5. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of driven rollers arranged side by side to form a row, a row of auxiliary rollers supported on and frictionally driven by said driven rollers, and a plate extending longitudinally of said rows of rollers and having cutaway portions receiving reduced portions of said rollers to prevent movement of said rollers longitudinally of said rows.

6. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of rotatably driven rollers, a row of auxiliary rollers supported on and frictionally rotatably driven by said first mentioned rollers, said second mentioned rollers being adapted to support and rotate a blank to be formed, and a transporting member disposed above the axes of said driven rollers and below the said blank operable to move the blank out, of engagement with the rollers on which it is supported.

7. In a means for supporting and imparting movement to a blank during a forming operation, the combination of a pair of rollers spaced apart to provide between them a seat for the blank, a plurality of driven rollers spaced apart to provide between them seats for the first mentioned rollers, means for rotating said driven rollers, and a transporting member disposed above the axes of the driven rollers and below the said blank operable to move the blank out of engagement with the rollers on which it is supported. l

8. In a machine of the class described, a pair of rollers spaced apart to provide between them a seat for a glass body, a plurality of driven r011- ers spaced apart to provide between them seats for the first mentioned rollers, cooperating means formed on said first mentioned and driven rollers for preventing axial movement of said first mentioned rollers relative to said driven rollers, and additional means engaging said first mentioned and driven rollers for preventing lateral movement of the first mentioned rollers relative to the driven rollers.

9. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of driven members, shafts projecting from the ends of said members by which said members are driven, auxiliary members supported on and frictionally driven by said driven members, said auxiliary members being adapted to support a blank and impart movement to the same, and a vertically movable transporting member disposed above the shafts of said driven members and below the blank operable to move the blank out of engagement with the members on which it is supported. 7

10. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of driven rollers arranged side by side to form a row, a row of auxiliary rollers supported on and frictionally driven by said driven rollers, and a single member engaging said driven and auxiliary rollers for preventing movement of said auxiliary rollers longitudinally of said row relative to said driven members.

11. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of driven rollers arranged side by side to form a row, a row of auxiliary rollers supported on and frictionally driven by said driven rollers, and a single member extending longitudinally of said rows of rollers adapted to prevent movement of said auxiliary rollers longitudinally of said row and axially of said driven rollers.

12. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of driven rollers arranged side by side, a plurality of auxiliary rollers supported on said driven rollers and frictionally driven by said driven rollers, and a means engageable in grooves formed in said driven and auxiliary rollers for preventing movement of said auxiliary rollers axially of said driven rollers.

13. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of driven rollers arranged side by side to form a row, a row of auxiliary rollers supported on and frictionally driven by said driven rollers, and a plate extending longitudinally of said row of auxiliary rollers and having cut away portions receiving reduced portions of said auxiliary rollers, said plate being fixed against movement transversely of and longitudinally of said row of 60 

